Today the team had a very early start launching NOVA 8 at 4:07am. The payload consisted of three cameras and the Badger board plus the HAPS-D (High Altitude Photo System Dawn) was also carried. The aim of the flight was to test a new tracking system which combines wind speed data gathered during the ascent to update and refine the predicted landing site. This was a great success and the team were able to park and wait less than a kilometer from the final landing site. All the cameras functioned correctly providing some stunning images which can be found on our media page: http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~cuspaceflight/media.php

Yes, we had a good flight. We tested a program we've written that makes a trajectory prediction based on the GFS forecast, then dynamically updates it based on the live telemetry coming back. We decided to trust it, drove to its predicted landing site, and in the event, the payload landed 1km away. So we're very happy with the results.

The balloon reached a height of just shy of 33km. It was a very humid day, and we noticed a reduced radio signal strength as a result, but it still was well within decodable limits. Everything else went to plan! Dawn launches are good fun.

That is a stunning panorama. Any idea what the stringy clouds right of the sun are? You can see that they're much higher than all the rest by the length of their shadow. The seem too chaotic to be aircraft contrails.